tesseyman



No. 610,289. Patented Sept. 6, I898.

H. TESSEYMAN &. J KIRBY, JR.

CAR SEAT.

(Application filed Feb. 24, 1898.|

2 Sheets-8heet I.

(No Model.)

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No. e|0,2s9. Patented s t. 6, I898. H. TESSEYMAN & .1. KIRBY, 1a.

CAR SEAT.

(Application filed Feb. 2-1. 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (No Model.)

AT TY UNrrnD STATES Price.

ATENT HENRY TESSEYMAN AND JOHN KIRBY, OF DAYTON, OlIIO; SAID TESSEYMANASSIGNOR TO SAID KIRBY.

CAR-SEAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Iatent No. 610,289, datedSeptember 6, 1898. Application filed February 24, 1898. Serial No.671,478. (No model.)

To ctZZ u/lwm it may concern:

Be-it known that we, HENRY TESSEYMAN and JOHN KIRBY, Jr., citizens ofthe United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery andState of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Seats, of, which the following is a specification, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawings.

Our invention relates to car-seats of the class in which the back isrev'ersible'and in which the cushion is shifted backand forth ryingrockers, adapted to carry the backindependently of any direct connectionwith the seat-frame and to move in an opposite direction to the travelof the seat-back when being shifted; second, to obtain moreclearance-room under the seat in order that the space may be utilizedfor the placingof satchels and other hand-baggage without interferingwith the comfort of passengers; third, to provide improved means wherebythe cushion will be shifted and tilted simultaneously with the reversingof the back;- fourth, to provide improved mechanism for moving andtilting the cushion by shifting the seat-back, whereby the cushion canbe made narrower than usual without reducing the seating-surfacethereof; fifth, to provide such a seat with a pair of foot-rests whichare operated by the movement of the back, so that when the latter is ineither of its normal positions one of said rests will assume suchposition as to form a comfortable foot-rest for passengers occupying theadjacent rear seat and the other be supported in an elevated positionbehind the seat-rail, thus leaving an unobstructed space between theunder side of the seat-rail and the floor at the front of the seat andwhich when the back is partially reversed will both be held in asemi-elevated position, thereby facilitating cleaning of the car-floor;sixth, to provide means whereby the back'may be detachably connectedwith the mechanism by which the aforesaid objects are accomplished;seventh,

to simplify and reduce the number of parts heretofore employed toaccomplish the results aforesaid, thereby lessening the cost of con-'struction of the class "of car-seats referred to and at the same timeprovide mechanism for shifting the seat-back and cushion-frame which inmanipulation will impart a quiet and easy movement.

The details of construction and arrangement of parts by which theseobjects are accomplished are hereinafter more fully described, pointedout in the claims at the end of this specification, and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of acar-seat embodying our improvements andin which the seat end, thecushion, and other parts are broken away to show the construction of theoperating mechanism. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section throughthe linea; a; of Fig. 3 with the cushion-frame removed, the back being shown ina semireversed position, the normal positions of the back being"represented by dotted lines; Fig. 3, abroken plan view of the wall endplate and operating mechanism; Fig. 4, a perspective view of the bottomside of the cushion-frame; Fig. 5, a perspective view of one of thecushion-rockers as seen from the side facing the seat end; Fig. 6, aninside perspective view of the wall end plate; Fig. 7, a perspectiveview of the inside of the seat end adjacent to the aisle of the car, thesame being detached from the seat and showing one of the footrest-su'pporting arms and its operating lever attached to the seat end,the foot-rests being shown in a semi-elevated position; Fig; 8, a likeview of one of the back-arms with connecting-levers attached thereto,but detachedfrom the cushion-rocker; and Fig. 9, a vertical crosssectionthrough the seat-frame and operating mechanism at the center thereof,with the back shown in a semi-elevated position.

Similar letters and numerals of reference indicate like parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

The seat-frame is composed of two end plates A B, the plate A beingpreferably formed integral with a stand 0, and these plates are unitedby rails D E, secured at their ends in sockets or entensions 1 on saidplates.

The plate Bis secured to the wall of the car, and the stand 0 is securedto the car-floor and forms the aisle end of the seat. A wood seat end Fis screwed or otherwise fixed to the plate A and may be of any of thewell-known forms, or it may be of metal and formed integral with theplate A and stand 0. The wall end of the seat may, however, be of thesame form as the aisle end, if desired. The plates Aand B are eachprovided at the center thereof with a vertical slot 2 and two radialslots 3, located equidistant from the said vertical slot, thefunctionsof which slots will presently appear. The socket l of theplates A B and the rails D E are arranged with their upper surfacesinclined downwardly toward .the center of the seat-frame, and the saidsockets carry at each endof the seat a cushion-rocker G, having inclinedsurfaces to correspond with those of the said rails upon which therockers ride, and to these rockers is pivoted at at the lower ends of apair of substantially parallel lever-arms 5 6 about equal in length,.theupper ends of these arms beingpivoted at 7 to extensions ct of back-armsH, adapted to engage pockets I, secured to each end of the seat-back, asshown in Fig. 1. These pockets may be secured to the seatback by screwspassing through ears 8, formed thereon, as shown, or in any othersuitable manner, and they may be made to extend from the bottom edge ofthe back up to about the horizontal center line thereof in order to forma substantial detachable connectionbetween the arms and the back, whichby rea- 7 son of the above-described manner of attachment can readily beremoved for cleaning and other purposes and afterward quickly replaced,thus affording convenience and economy in removing and replacing thebacks. The cushion-rockers carry the seat-frame on which the cushion isformed, and they are moved to and fro up and down the inclined surfacesof the sockets 1 by the shifting of the said back arms, as hereinafterdescribed. They are by preference located in close proximity to theinner sides of the end plates; but they maybe located at a greaterdistance from said plates and arranged to operate directly on theseat-rails. 'VVe consider, however, the location as first describedpreferable to the latter. These rockers are composed of two side pieces9 10, united attheir ends by crossties 11, and they are preferably castin one piece, the side 9 being placed next to the seat end and havingprojecting pins or studs 12, forming journals for rollers 13, whichoperate in the radial slots 3 with the travel of the rockers. The saidstuds are provided with washers or enlarged heads 14:, which overlap theseat ends and form guides for retaining the rockers in line. Other formsof guides may, however, be employed for the purpose. The side pieces 9are cut away at 15 to receive the ends of a rock-shaft J, extendinglongitudinally across the seat and having a bearing in each of the sidepieces 10 at each end of the seat, the said bearings being formedone-half in the side pieces and one-half in detachable caps 16, attachedto the lower edge thereof, as more clearly shown in Fig. 5, and by whichconstruction the said shaft can be conveniently placed in position andremoved.

A pin 17 at each end of each rocker proj ects upwardly therefrom toreceive a cushionframe K, having holes 18 in the under side thereof, andwhich holes the said pins engage to retain the cushion-frame in properrelation to the rockers and to the seat-frame, and whereby the cushionis carried forward and backward and tilted with the rockers, whichmovements are caused by the shifting of the seat-back, the cushion-framebeing removable from the rockers by simply raising it to clear the pins17 and having no projections on the under side thereof to interfere withthe piling of a number of cushions one upon another, as is desirable todo when the seats in a car are being renovated. Connecting-arms L, thelength of which correspond with that of the arms 5 and 6, are secured attheir lower ends to the shaft J, one at eachend thereof, their upperends being pivoted at 18 to the back-arms H, the upper pivotalconnections of the arms 5 6 and L being on a line at right angles to thelongitudinal center of the back-arm, and the lower pivotal centers ofarms 5 and 6 and of the shaft J being on a line parallel with the upperpivotal line only when the said lever-arms, the

said connecting-arms, and the said back-arms stand in a verticalposition, as shown in Fig. 2, the angle of the lower pivotal linechanging with the shifting of the rockers to which the lever-arms arepivoted and with which the shaft J travels as the group is moved ineither direction from a vertical position, the arms L being arranged toclear the lower curved ends of the arms 5 and 6, so as to permit theformer to pass by the latter in reversing. The arms L are each providedwith a pin or stud 19, on which rollers 20 are journaled and whichprojects through an opening 21, out through the side 9 of each of therockers G, and which also projects through the vertical slots 2 in theend-plates A and B, the travel of the rockers in either direction fromthe center of the seat being limited by the distance from the shaft Jthat the pin 19 is located. In other words, the said pin and roller actas an eccentric traversing the vertical slot 2 in each of the plates A13 while the lever-arms are shifting, thus causing the shaft J, therockers G, the lever-arms 5 and 6, the connecting-arms L, the back-armsH, and the cushion-frame K to move-in unison as the seat-back is shiftedto and fro across the seat-frame, the rockers traversing up and down theinclined surfaces of the sockets 1 or of the seat-rails D E, when therockers are located to rest directly on the latter and whereby a quietand easy movement is obtained. The lower ends of the arms L are eachprovided with a hub 22, by which the arms are secured between the sides9 and of the rockers to the shaft J by pinning or otherwise and by whichthe rockers are con nected together and lateral displacement of theshaft prevented, the latter being rocked by the movement of the arms L.It is to be understood, however, that the, movement of the thereof, therockers then acting as mere supports for the cushion, and, if desired,they may be made fast to the rails D and E.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings the seat-back is shown by solid lines in asemireversed position and by dotted lines in each of its normalpositions, in either of which the cross-ties act as stops for one or theother of the lever-arms 5 and 6 at each end of the seat to strikeagainst and to retain the seat-back in proper position. By referring tothe said figure of the drawings it will be observed that the arc inwhich the back travels in reversing is such as to cause the lower edgethereof to move clear of the cushion during the complete op eration.

By means of the hereinbefore-described mechanism the width of thecushion can be reduced one inch or more, for the reason that a greatermovement of the rockers can be obtained and the cushion moved forward tothe full limit of the space allotted to it, and thus no part thereofneed extend under the back, as has heretofore been necessary in theclass of seats to which this invention relates in order to provide adesired amount of seatingspace.

An important feature of our improved seat is that the lower edge of theback thereof when in either of its normal positions is close to thecushion, thus obviating a serious objection to most of the car-seats incommon use and in. which there is an open space between the cushion andthe back through which articles laid on the cushion can fall.

Another important improvement in the within-described seat is the mannerin which a pair of foot-rests M are arranged to operate. Thesefoot-rests are attached at or near the ends thereof to brackets N,pivotally connected at the aisle end to a post 23, projecting from thestand O, and at the opposite end to a post 24, projecting from an arm19, extending downwardly from the end plate B, as more clearly shown inFigs. 6 and 9. They may, however, be pivoted to any suitable supportsadjacent to the seat-frame. At the center of the said brackets and abovetheir pivotal points extend upwardlybifurcated guides 25, adapted toengage the lower ends of levers 1?, having rounded lower ends 26 andcontracted necks 27, and which levers are pivoted at 28 to posts 29 and30, projecting from the end plates A and B, and which levers areprovided with upwardly-extending bifurcated branches 31, adapted toengage the rock-shaft J, and thus as the rockers are moved by theshifting of the seat-back the levers P will be rockedand in turn willimpart a reverse rocking movement to the brackets N, whereby one of thefoot-rests will assume a position to afford a comfortable foot-rest forpassengers occupying the adjacent rear seat, while the other will beheld in an elevated position behind the forward seat-rail, and when theback is in a semireversed position, as shown by'the solid lines in Fig.2, both of said footrests will be held in a semi-elevated position,thereby facilitating cleaning of the car-floor, bearings 32 beingprovided at each side and at each'end of the seat to support thefootrests.

In the foregoing we have described what we now believe to be the bestmanner ofcarrying out our invention. It is obvious, however, that thestructural details described and shown herein may be modified anddeparted from without departing from the spirit of the invention.Therefore we do not limit our invention to the exact construction shownand described, and we desire that it should. be understood our inventiondoes not of necessity contemplate the employment at both ends of theseat of the within-described shifting mechanism.

What we claim is-- 1. Inacar-seatof the classdescribed,aseatframe,shiftable cushion-carrying rockers carried thereby,a shiftable seat-back carried by the rockers, and arms which pivotallyconnect the seat-back and rockers, in combination with mechanism forimparting a forward and tilting movement to the rockers by the shiftingof the seat-back, substantially as set forth.

2. In a car-seat of the class described,aseatframe,shif tablecushioncarrying rockers carried thereby, a shiftable seat-back carriedbythe rockers, and arms which pivotally connect the seat-baek androckers, in combination with mechanism for imparting a forward andtilting movement to the rockers by the shifting of the seat-back, andstops for limiting the movements of the seat-back and rockers,substantially as set forth. 3. In a car-seat of the class described,aseat frame,shiftable cushion-carrying rockers carried thereby, ashiftable seat-back carried by the rockers, arms which pivotally connectthe seat-back and rockers, and mechanism for imparting a forward andtilting movement to the rockers by the shifting of the seat-back, incombination with foot-rests rotatively connected with the seat-frame,and a device inment of the rockers, substantially as set.

forth.

4:. In a car-seat of the class described,a seat- *combinationof a seatend having extensions,

a cushion-carrying rocker movably supported on said extensions, aback-arm adapted to be attached to a seat-back, a plurality oflever-arms whose lower ends are pivoted tothe rocker and whose upperends are in pivotal connection with said back-arm and whereby theposition of the back-arm is shiftable from one side of the seat end tothe other; the said lever-arms and the said back-arms being 'carried bysaid rocker, and mechanism by which the said rocker is shifted by themovement of the back-arm in a reverseddirection thereto, substantiallyas set forth.

6. In a car-seat of the class described, the

combination of a seat end having extensions, a cushion-carryin g rockermovably supported on said extensions, a back-arm adapted to be attachedto a seat-back, a plurality of leverarms whose lower ends are pivoted tothe rocker and whose upper ends are in pivotal connection withsaidback-arm and whereby the positionof the back-arm is shiftable from oneside of the-seat endto the other; the said lever-arms and thesaid'back-arms being carried by said rocker, mechanism by which the saidrocker isshifted by the movement of the back-arm in a reverse directionthereto, and

rocker and whose upper ends are in pivotal connection with said back-armand whereby the position of the back-arm is shiftable from one side ofthe seat end to the other; the said lever-arms and said back-arm beingcarried by said rocker, mechanism by which the said rocker'is shifted bythe movement of thebackarm in a reverse direction thereto, a foot-restbracket, and a deviceintermediate the rocker and said bracket wherebythe latter is rocked by the movement of the former as the leverarms areshifted, substantially as set forth.

8. In a car-seat of the class described, the

combination of a seat end having extensions,

a cushion-carrying rocker movably supported on said extensions, aback-arm which is adapted to be attached to a seat-back, a plurality oflever-arms whose lower ends are pivoted to the rocker and whose upperends are in pivotal connection with said back-arm and whereby theposition of the back-arm is shift able from one side of the seat end tothe other; the said lever-arms and said back-arm being carried by saidrocker, mechanism by which the said rocker is shifted by the movement ofthe back-arm in a reverse direction thereto, a foot-rest bracket, adevice intermediate the rocker and the said bracket whereby the latteris rocked by the movement of the former as the lever-arms are shifted,and stops for limiting the movementof the bracket, substantially as setforth.

9. In a car-seat of the classdescribed, a seatframeconsistingof a pairof ends united by a pair of rails, cushion-carryingrockers supported bythe rails, a-seat-back adapted'to be shifted to and fro across the seat,lever-arms in :pivotal connection with the back and which lever-arms arepivoted to the rockers, and whereby the back is shiftably supportedindependently of operative connection with the seat-frame, incombination with mechanism cooperating with the lever-arms wherebytherockers are moved in an opposite direction thereto, substantially as setforth.

10. In a car-seat of the class described, a seat-frame consisting of apairof endsunited by a pair of rails, cushion-carrying rockers supportedby the rails, a seat-back adapted to be shifted to and fro across theseat, leverarms in pivotal connection with the back and which lever-armsare pivoted to the rockers, and whereby the back is shiftably supportedindependently of operative connection with the seat-frame, incombination with mechanism cooperatin g with the lever-arms whereby therockers are moved in an opposite direction to the movement of thelever-arms, and stops for limiting the movementsof the back and rockers,substantially asset forth.

11. I11 a'car-seat of the class described, a

.seatframe, cushion carrying rockers supported thereby and rotativelymovable thereon, a seat-back adapted to be shifted to and fro across theseat, lever-arms in pivotal connection with the back and with therockers whereby the back is carried by the rockers independently ofoperative connection with the ends of the seat-frame, mechanismcooperating with the lever-arms to move the rockers in an oppositedirection-to the movement thereof; the lower pivoted ends of the saidlever-arms being shiftable with andin the direction of the travel of therockers, substantially as set forth.

12. In a car-seat of the class described, a seat-frame, cushion-carryingrockers supported thereby and rotatively movable thereon, a seat-backadapted to be shifted to and fro across the seat, lever-arms in pivotalconnection with the back and with the rockers IIC IIE

whereby the back is carried by the rockers independently of operativeconnection with the ends of the seat-frame, mechanism cooperating withthe lever-arms to move the arms in the opposite direction to themovement thereof, and stops for limiting the movements of the lever-armsand rockers, the lower pivoted ends of the said lever-arm's beingshiftable with and in the direction of the travel of the rockers,substantially as set forth.

13. In a car-seat of the class described, a seat-frame, cushion-carryingrockers supported thereby and rotatively movable thereon, a seat-backadapted to be shifted to and fro across the seat, lever-arms in pivotalconnection with the back and with the rockers and bywhich the back iscarried by the rockers; the lower pivoted ends of the said lever-armsbeing shiftable in the direction of the travelof the rockers, movablefoot-rests mounted below the seat, mechanism cooperating with thelever-arms to move the rockers in an opposite direction thereto, adevice connecting the foot-rests with the rockers whereby the formerwill be rotated by the movement of the latter, and stops for limitingthe movements of the lever-arms, the rockers and the foot-rests,substantially as set forth.

' 14. In a car-seat of the class described, a seat-frame consisting of apair of ends united by a pair of inclined surfaced rails, a seatback, acushion-carrying rocker supported by said rails at each end of theseat-frame, a pair of lever-arms whose upper ends are pivotallyconnected with the seat-back at each end thereof on a line at rightangles to the center vertical line of the back and equidistanttherefrom, and whose lower ends are pivoted directly to the said rockersand shiftable therewith in the direction traveled thereby, and stops forlimiting the movements of the lever-arms and rockers, in combinationwith a rock-shaft mounted in the rockers, and mechanism pivotallyconnecting the rockshaft with the seat-back, whereby the shifting of theseatback to and fro across the seat will move the rockers up and downthe inclined surfaces of the seat-rails in an opposite direction to themovement of the seatback, substantially as set forth.

15. In a car-seat of the class described, a seat-frame, and shiftablecushion-carrying rockers carried thereby, in combination with ashiftable seat-back which is in pivotal connection with and carried bythe rockers, and a rock-shaft mounted in the rockers and havingoperative connections between the seatback and the frame, substantiallyas set forth.

16. In a car-seat of the class described, a seat-frame, and shiftablecushion-carrying rockers carried thereby, in combination with ashiftable seat-back which is in pivotal connection with and carried bythe rockers, a rock-shaft mounted in the rockers and having operativeconnections between the seatback and the frame, foot-rests mounted belowthe seat and means whereby the footrests are rotated by the movement ofthe rockshaft caused by the shifting of the rockers, substantially asset forth.

17. In a car-seat of the class described, a

seat-frame, and shiftable cushion-carrying rockers carried thereby, incombination with a pair of shiftable back-arms which are in pivotalconnection with and carried by the rockers independently of operativeconnection with the ends of the seat-frame, a seatback detachablysupported by said back, arms, whereby the back can readily be removedand placed in position on the seat and shifted to and fro across thesame, and mechanism for imparting a forward and tilting In testimonywhereof we hereunto subscribe our names this 21st day of February, 1898.

HENRY TESSEYMAN. JOHN KIRBY, JR.

Witnesses:

N. EMMONS, J r., E. L. EIDEMILLER.

